Five things you probably didn't know about breast cancer

Like every year, the campaign against breast cancer is held throughout October.

"Pink October" also helps inform the general public about this cancer, the deadliest in women, which kills 12,000 French women each year.

But many facets of breast cancer remain largely unrecognized.

Do you know, for example, that there are not one but ten types of breast cancer?

Doctor Mahasti Saghatchian, medical oncologist at the Gustave Roussie Institute and at the American Hospital in Paris, was the guest of the program

, Wednesday on Europe 1, to discuss the subject.

>> Find all of Sans rendez-vous in replay and podcast here

20% of breast cancers occur between the ages of 40 and 50

Yes, breast cancer is more common in older women.

“But unfortunately we have 20% of breast cancers that occur between 40 and 50 years,” warns the oncologist.

"The incidence of breast cancer, that is to say the number of new cases from the age of 40, begins to be significant. It increases until the age of 60-65, when we reaches the peak, and then it decreases afterwards. "

There are ten types of breast cancer

At present, doctors have detected ten different types of breast cancer.

"It is really recent advances in molecular biology that have enabled us to better understand these cancers. These cancers will evolve differently, have different prognoses and especially different treatments," said Dr. Mahasti Saghatchian.

Age is also an essential factor in the dangerousness of cancer.

"More aggressive cancers are more common in younger patients. In all cases, whatever the cancer, whether aggressive or not, whether in a young woman or an elderly woman, it must be detected. early when he is still small, when he is not yet gone out of the breast. It is the only way to cure breast cancer ", warned the oncologist.

Triple negative cancer kills the most

Of these ten types of breast cancer, the one called "triple negative" is the most deadly.

"Triple negative cancer is the one that concentrates the most research efforts. It is the most aggressive cancer, which will relapse the most, and unfortunately in the face of this cancer we are a little helpless. We have chemotherapies that work more. or less, a little immunotherapy and we are looking for new leads, "said the oncologist.

Among these new avenues, doctors are studying chemotherapy using trees, but also bee venom.

"Nature holds incredible treasures, like bee venom. There is a protein, a molecule, a chemotherapy that can be extracted from bee venom and which, obviously, would have a very, very strong impact on the cells. cancerous triple negative. But we do not want to give false hope. It will take years of analysis, development and studies for it to lead to a drug, "she said.

Self-examination, more effective before menstruation

To fight against breast cancer, doctors encourage women to perform regular self-examinations.

But it is easier to detect an anomaly "before the rules".

“After your period is over, the best time is probably within ten days of your period,” she added.

But the oncologist warns: "Self-palpation is important but will not replace screening. And despite everything, it is not easy to perform. On the contrary, the palpation made by the doctor is an expert palpation which will explore all breast areas. "

Risk factors: alcohol, having a biopsy and breast density

Dr Mahasti Saghatchian also reviewed the factors that increase the risk of getting breast cancer.

Among them: alcohol.

"In women, the breast is a kind of alcohol sponge. From one drink a day, which is not much, it increases the risk of breast cancer, especially in young women," he said. she warned.

Another, less well-known risk factor is "having had a breast biopsy".

"It is not so much the biopsy, which is the fact of putting a needle to take something in the blood, which increases the risk. On the other hand, the fact of having had a biopsy testifies to abnormalities in the blood. , which led to this biopsy. And statistically, having had a breast biopsy is a risk factor for breast cancer, "says the oncologist.

Last risk factor: what is called breast density. "The more fat we have, the less dense breasts we have. Conversely, the more fiber we have, the more dense we have. Cancer will develop in the fibrous part. So the more dense we have, the more we have a risk of breast cancer, ”she explains. "We will do a mammogram on women to assess their breast density. However, it is only seen in mammography and not on palpation."